May 2018 | Vol. 4 Iss. 05
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MEET KATE DE GROOTE: AWARDED $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP AT NATION’S SENATE PROGRAM By Travis Barton | travis@mycityjournals.com
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arbara De Groote remembers what her daughter Kate De Groote said after returning from the weeklong United States Senate Youth Program in Washington, D.C.: “That was the greatest week of my life.” West Valley resident Barbara then recalled telling Kate, “‘Do you know how many times you have told me that with the experiences you’ve had? That’s a pretty good young life to have already told me that many times.’ She’s just had these experiences that have been fantastic in many different areas.” That’s because Kate is no ordinary teenager. A cursory Google search of the Skyline High junior reveals various news reports about her academic exploits: She was awarded the 2017 Billy Michal Student Leadership Award in New Orleans in June 2017; she collected and delivered 3,500 books to the Navajo and Hopi reservations in Arizona; she won the state’s National History Day competition for individual performance while at Churchill Jr. High before going on to nationals (also in Washington, D.C.); and is the vice mayor of the West Valley City Youth Council. Washington, D.C. Kate, and James Madsen of Bountiful, represented Utah at the 56th annual United States Senate Youth Program in Washington, D.C. in March. The two were chosen as top student leaders joining the other 102 student delegates from around the nation. They also received $10,000 scholarships. The weeklong program falls under Kate’s burgeoning category of life’s “greatest weeks.” “It’s almost impossible to put the experience and what I learned into words,” she said in an interview a few weeks after returning. She will have to. Each delegate is required to write an essay about the experience.
Kate De Groote and James Madsen take a photo with Utah Senator Mike Lee during the United States Senate Youth Program in March. (Photo by Jakob Mosur)
Days were “jam packed” for the delegates, Kate said. In no small order, the week included hearing from various senators such as Tim Scott (South Carolina) and Angus King (Maine), a national archivist, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, the Canadian Ambassador to the United States David MacNaughton and a 30-minute conversation with Utah’s Senator Mike Lee. She also visited The Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery, the Newseum, the Capitol and the White House where she
met President Donald Trump. “It was just an amazing experience because we were able to go behind the scenes at so many places and really get to have a firsthand experience as to how government works and hear from these leaders that a lot of us look up to,” Kate said. One of Kate’s more surreal moments was seeing top Somalian officials while staying at the Mayflower Hotel. They were there at the same time as the Somalian President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed. ...Continued on page 6
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Annual spring conference empowers local women in business The West Valley City Journal is a monthly publication distributed directly to residents via the USPS as well as locations throughout West Valley City. For information about distribution please email circulation@mycityjournals. com or call our offices. Rack locations are also available on our website. For subscriptions please contact: circulation@mycityjournals.com The views and opinions expressed in display advertisements do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions held by Loyal Perch Media or the City Journals. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the owner.
The West Valley Team CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Bryan Scott bryan@mycityjournals.com EDITOR: Travis Barton travis@mycityjournals.com ADVERTISING: 801-254-5974 DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING: Ryan Casper ryan.casper@mycityjournals.com 801-671-2034 SALES ASSOCIATES: Melissa Worthen melissa@mycityjournals.com 801-897-5231 Tracy Langer Tracy.l@mycityjournals.com 385-557-1021 Corbett Carrel Corbett@mycityjournals.com 385-557-1016 CIRCULATION COORDINATOR: Brad Casper circulation@mycityjournals.com
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By Keyra Kristoffersen | Keyrak@mycityjournals.com
hamberWest held its annual Spring into Success Conference for women in business at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center on April 10 in West Valley City. “The reason why we have so much energy behind our Women in Business Conference is because of the passion in our Women in Business committee and their ability to put together a firstclass program that really provides professional development and networking opportunities for women in our community,” said Barbara Riddle, the president and CEO of ChamberWest for the last two years. ChamberWest serves West Valley City, Taylorsville and Kearns and the conference saw 135 attendees from businesses around the valley. A raffle was available to win handmade lap quilts with donations going toward the Granite Education Foundation—a 501c.3 nonprofit comprised of community and business leaders that seek to support the Granite School District in providing school and physical necessities and academic support to students in need. The Granite Education Foundation addressed the group about the needs of children in the area. “It was a sobering presentation on what the needs are, and there are many in our community and how our businesses can get involved and engage,” said Riddle. Stacey Bess was the 2018 Keynote speaker for the conference and gave a presentation on her work with homeless children through the book “Nobody Don’t Love Nobody” about her teaching math, reading, and positive self-worth at the School With No Name, a school located within the Salt Lake Community Shelter and Resource Center. In addition to the main addresses and lunch held in the ballroom area, mini breakout sessions were held in smaller classrooms in a variety of topics. Tannen Ellis-Graham with human resources company, CareerKarma360, talked about business branding to attract millennials, the future of talent acquisition and employer branding. Cynthia Bee instructed on the use of social media for content creation
Women from West Valley, Kearns and Taylorsville gather together to learn new techniques to succeed in business. (Aimee Rice)
from a beginner’s standpoint. “Her position is with the Jordan Valley Conservancy District, she kind of learned social media through trial and error and is really able to provide insight into how to and what to engage in from more of a layman’s perspective,” said Riddle. Oz Hutton, owner of Melange Liquid Catering, a mobile bartending service, spoke on the effects of tastes and beverages on life and making memorable moments. Becky Ivory, co-owner of the 3 Great Rights Institute, spoke about changing beliefs in order to create a model of success and overcome what she calls the “Terror Barrier” by discovering the five steps for changing beliefs that hold one back, giving people the freedom to embrace the life they’ve always wanted, to stop buying into limited beliefs and start investing in liberating potential. “It was an amazing conference,” said Riddle. “I feel that there was a real positive response.” Many attendees did seem pleased with
the networking opportunities and information they received through the program designed by Women in Business board chair, Monica Gayden, and the rest of the committee. “It’s under her leadership that the program was put together,” Riddle said. “We just got such a great group of people that put this thing on.” Exhibitors from 22 companies including presenting sponsors such as the UCCC, America First Credit Union, Grifols Biomat Taylorsville were available to provide information and resources for business implementation. The Spring into Success conference began seven years ago and collaborated with other chambers, and after a hiatus in 2016, redid the format and is now in the second year doing it on their own. “We’ll expect it to continue on for many years to come,” said Riddle who was thrilled with the space and partnership with the cultural center. For information about upcoming events, visit: https://chamberwest.com/women-inbusiness/. l
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West Valley City Journal
Awards banquet commemorates famous civil rights activist and local Latino community advocates By Keyra Kristoffersen | keyrak@mycityjournals.com
Traditional folk dancers entertain the crowds at the Cesar Chavez Peace and Justice Awards Banquet. (UCLR)
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n March 24, the Utah Coalition of La Raza held the 25th annual Cesar Chavez Peace and Justice Awards Banquet at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center (UCCC). The banquet was named for social activist Cesar Chavez and honoring the work that he did. “It became about honoring community leaders that were continuing the work, that advocacy, having that impact for Latinos in Utah,” said Richard Jaramillo, currently in his second year as president of the UCLR. The Utah Coalition of La Raza was formed in 1992 and when Chavez passed away in 1993, the banquet was created and named after him. It became an awards banquet to recognize individuals and organizations within the Latin community who exemplified the message of Chavez and bolstered the community within Utah.
With the 25th anniversary of the awards banquet, the annual lifetime achievement award is being renamed after Robert “Archie” Archuleta, a longtime community activist, and was presented to the 2018 awardee Andrew “Andy” L. Gallegos. Gallegos is being awarded for his years of leadership, service, and advocacy that include serving with U.S. Army Intelligence in Panama from 1963 to 1965, helping to form the first statewide Chicano Conference in 1972, and was one of the team that in 1979, brought Cesar Chavez to Utah among his many other contributions. Crescencio López-González, an assistant professor of Latinx Studies at Utah State University, Utah State Representative Angela Romero and Comunidades Unidas | Communities United were also awarded for services and contributions made for the betterment of Latin communities throughout Utah. The awards banquet also serves as a fundraiser and Jaramillo said it was the most successful one so far. During the two-hour event, dinner was served by a Lindon-based Latina caterer while live on-stage entertainment and folk dancers performed. This was the first year that the UCCC had been used for the event. “We mix it up and do things little bit differently every year,” said Jaramillo, pleased with the turnout. “We had run out of capacity at our previous venue last year.” Along with the awards banquet, UCLR also works with Granite and Salt Lake School Districts to hold a visual and language arts competition that’s built around Caesar Chavez and social justice so the kids learn a little bit about Chavez and other civil right activists, then they compete in the arts competition. The school districts have been involved for several years and while the teachers change the focus a little bit, it works largely to give some context and history to different social justice movements such as labor rights, environmental justice and social justice, causes that Caesar Chavez took up along with Dolores Huerta and others during the 1970s and ‘80s.
The middle and high school students also touch on the Civil Rights movement and LGBTQ issues. While putting each issue in context and showing the activism and advocacy from the past, the partnership hopes to keep those legacies going through visual mediums such as charcoal, watercolor, painting and mixed media and through poems, essays and prose on the literature mediums. The 2018 grand prize winner was a collage of different styles and pieces. “They give that teaching first and then they allow the kids to express themselves and their thoughts on what that means today through whatever kind of visual arts representation they choose, or through a language arts entry piece,” said Jaramillo, who said that a lot of great work is submitted every year. The school districts pick the winners from different grade levels and the UCLR invite the winners and their families to attend the awards banquet to receive the awards on stage. The UCLR is made up of volunteers who work in several different areas to help and advocate on issues such as education, immigration, courts and legislature, tracking bills and giving testimony. “We also do a lot of mediation work with police agencies or schools, we oftentimes get members of the community that don’t feel comfortable confronting institutions on their own and so we often try and act as a facilitator and try to bring community members into a forum where they feel more comfortable trying to voice their concerns and perhaps get change affected from those institutions,” said Jaramillo. The UCLR also holds other free events such as movie screenings, local fairs, panels, workshops and know-your-rights campaigns including a panel discussing myths surrounding immigration and DACA. For information about upcoming events, visit: https://www. uclr.org/ l
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...Contiued from cover “We’re staying in the same hotel as the president of a nation in the world, it was insane.” The ultimate highlights of the program for Kate, were hearing or meeting those leaders she looks up to. While touring the Senate Gallery, Kate said her group heard Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren speak. “Kids started crying because we love politics so much and just being able to hear them give speeches was incredible,” Kate said. She also got to shake hands with one of her heroes, Representative John Lewis (Georgia). Lewis is a prominent civil rights leader who helped organize the 1963 March on Washington, known as one of the “Big Six” leaders of the civil rights movement. Lewis told the delegates about his own experiences being arrested dozens of times, “but he still persevered,” Kate said, “and fought for equality and the causes he believed in. That inspired all of us.” Hearing the various political leaders explain why they chose their field, the causes they strive for and using their position to represent the underserved was not only memorable for Kate, but motivating. “I think that made everyone in the room more passionate about pursuing political service or just working to help others,” she said. It turned out to be her primary lesson. “We need to be passionate about something, and we need to take that passion and pursue it until we can’t pursue it anymore,” she said. “Because even though we’re young, we’ve seen time and time again that we can
Page 6 | May 2018
change the world, whether it’s locally or nationally. We can make a difference.” Civic service Participating in a program where Kate can meet the nation’s leaders is possible because of who she is and what she’s done. While some students in her high school head to Paris for their spring break vacation, in 2017 Kate utilized that time to deliver 3,500 books to schools on Navajo and Hopi reservations in Arizona. In May, she travels to the Dominican Republic for a humanitarian mission. The Skyline junior, who also serves as vice mayor for the West Valley Youth City Council, served as an ambassador for the World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana during 2017 where she interviewed veterans to preserve their stories. Kate, a history buff, said it made the war more than “what you read in history books.” “It affected these people in such profound ways, an event in which they learned so many truths,” she said. “Even hearing about the horrors many of them had to experience, it definitely put my own life into perspective.” “And I realize how much these veterans had to go through and how much they’re impacted by it today. There were many people who couldn’t really talk about it.” History Where does this unyielding desire for civic service come from? For Kate, it’s all about history. In elementary school she was “obsessed” with the Revolutionary War before her fascination with World War II. She saw “how politics influenced all of that history.”
“I realized that politics and being elected or working behind the scenes is a way you can make a real difference in this nation,” Kate said. Third grade proved a formative year for Kate. She attended a summer camp about the Mayflower ship that transported early pilgrims to what would become the United States. Her parents took her to Boston where she saw the Freedom Trail, the site of the Boston Massacre and a replica of the Mayflower. The year also marked her first recollection of a presidential inauguration when Barack Obama was first elected. “We tried to take her to as many museums as we could,” Barbara said of Kate’s upbringing. “Get (her) involved in as many different programs as we could because she had this insatiable desire to learn about different things.” Kate took first place at the state’s National History Day competition in 2016 for her individual performance on Joan of Arc’s journey. Another history exploit includes learning about the Berlin Wall and the relationship between East and West Germany. In seventh grade, Kate carted out a 6-foot-tall replica of the Berlin Wall to a history fair. It imitated the barbed wire at the top, search lights, concrete; she even spray painted words on the wall. “It was awesome,” Kate recalled fondly. Future If curiosity constituted a life’s calling, it would be Kate’s. She has an insatiable appetite to learn everything. Barbara noted how she has a real interest about the world and all its people.
Whether it’s religions, traditions, cuisine or personal values different from the American norm; Kate wants to absorb all of it. “That’s something I’m very passionate about,” Kate said. “And seeing why people do [those things] and how that’s impacted their own lives. That’s something that I think is extremely interesting…engaging in cross cultural dialogue is something I really enjoy doing.” Kate is in the International Baccalaureate program at Skyline. With its seemingly endless amounts of homework, Kate doesn’t have much free time. She loves to sew and wants to learn more about it. Reading is her favorite, especially “The Great Gatsby,” “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The New Jim Crow.” But she typically uses that time for her projects, volunteering at the refugee center, doing a study abroad in Spain (summer 2017) or applying for Chinese programs for this summer. She’s often asked about her future. Her dream schools are Harvard and Yale, she wants to study political science or economics. Then work for the government overseas or in the State Department, maybe serve as an adviser for political campaigns. Regardless of what she does, the world might not hold enough information for her to soak up. “The world has endless opportunities for me in the future,” she said. “I’ll figure out when I get there, I just know I want to be in a position to help make the world a better place, more connected and more friendly with each other.” l
West Valley City Journal
Be prepared for when disaster strikes says WVC fire chief By Travis Barton | travis@mycityjournals.com
Emergency services would be out in full force in case of a natural disaster in Utah. (Pixabay)
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ohn Evans was working as a firefighter for West Valley City in 1999 when the unexpected and destructive tornado tore through downtown Salt Lake City. They were immediately called to the scene. “When you got down there it looked like a bomb went off,” Evans recalled. Evans is now the fire chief for West Valley City and serves as its emergency manager. He speaks from personal experience when he says residents need to be prepared in case of a natural disaster. The month of April included the Great Utah ShakeOut, when people and organizations practice preparation for a major earthquake— the disaster experts have expected to cut through Utah for some time. Here are a few ways how Evans suggested residents prepare for a natural disaster. • Create 72- or 96-hour kits with items such as water, food, battery-powered radio, flashlight, whistle, garbage bags and local maps. • Have a way of communicating with family preferably using an out of state contact that everyone can reach if possible. • Ready your house by tying down your water heater, book shelves, televisions, etc. • Stop, drop and hold on. • More tips can be found at bereadyutah. gov. “All the predictions for an earthquake in this valley, are devastating,” Evans said. “Obviously as it goes on, shelters will be open, but for the first little while, people are just going to be on their own. “That’s why you prepare yourself, there may not be help for a while.”
WestValleyJ ournal.com
If you have a kit, go through it regularly updating any items that may have expired, Evans said. Residents can also take a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) eightweek training course. It provides basic training in medical, search and rescue, and fire. “You train citizens to be in their neighborhoods helping their neighbors,” Evans said. In addition to the CERT courses, the city also deploys safety information via WestFest, annual safety fairs and its website. Pending the type of disaster to strike, City Hall would act as Emergency Operations Center (EOC) having just undergone a remodel. A large tractor-drawn trailer would serve as a mobile center for a backup. Three levels of activation exist for the EOC depending on the situation, explained Evans. An earthquake would be “EOC activation level one.” It would require all city departments to fulfill positons in the EOC whether it be finance or parks and recreation. While earthquakes are projected to cause heavy devastation, Evans said other events like flooding, wind and winter storms, chemical spills or power outages also necessitate emergency preparation. This can also be an opportunity to review other household emergencies like fire alarms or escape plans. “Earthquake is going to be devastating, that’s bottom line,” Evans said. “(But) you need to prepare yourself and family for things that can happen all the time. Everybody hits on the earthquake, that’s the worst thing, but there’s things we have happen yearly here.” l
May 2018 | Page 7
Understanding elected official compensation in the wake of pay raise controversy By Justin Adams | j.adams@mycityjournals.com Robinson. Part of the reason for the public outcry about the mayor’s self-appointed raise is a lack of public understanding about how local elected officials are compensated. In response to a query on social media concerning this subject, respondents who live along the Wasatch Front said by and large that they weren’t quite sure how much their mayor was paid, but guessed anywhere in a range from $10,000 to $50,000. While some mayors’ paychecks do fall within this range, there are many others who are paid two or three times that amount. According to the report by KUTV, Bradburn’s initial salary when he took office was $147,000, meaning the raise would have brought him up to $162,000. That would have been more than double the median household income of Sandy ($76,807) as well as the highest salary of any mayor in the valley, including Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski. The resolution passed by the Sandy City Council set a minimum mayoral salary of $119,000 and a maximum of $144,000. Those figures were recommended to the council by Mike Applegarth, the council office’s director, who said that the mayor’s compensation should be based on “similarly situated cities” such as Provo or Ogden. In 2017, the mayors of those cities received salaries of The salaries of most of the mayors within Salt Lake County. There is a clear $109,500 and $128,699 respectively, according to information from distinction in pay between mayors in cities with a council-manager form of the state of Utah’s public finance website, transparent.utah.gov. While the mayor’s new salary of $119,000 is more on par with government and mayors in cities with a council-mayor form of government. some of the larger cities along the Wasatch front, it is still near the top of what a municipal mayor can make in the state of Utah. witch hunt.” “A failure on many levels.” “An unfortunate Of the 15 cities considered for this article (13 Salt Lake County situation.” municipalities plus Ogden and Provo) there is a wide range in the Those are the terms used to describe a controversy that came amount of money that a mayor is paid. In fact, Salt Lake City Mayor to a conclusion at a Sandy City Council meeting on Feb. 27. A few Biskupski made almost 10 times as much money in 2017 ($149,220) weeks prior, KUTV reported that Sandy’s recently-elected mayor, as the lowest-paid mayor last year, former Riverton Mayor William Kurt Bradburn, had given himself a $15,000 raise during his first Applegarth ($15,521). month in office. Of course, Salt Lake City and Riverton are two completely The news resulted in a firestorm of social media backlash— different cities in a variety of ways. First, Salt Lake City has more KUTV’s post on Facebook garnered 72 (mostly) angry comments— than four times the number of residents as Riverton. Secondly, one resulting in an announcement by Bradburn that he would take a pay city’s budget is much larger than the others. Last year, the city of cut instead. Riverton’s expenses totaled about $30 million, according to the The city of Sandy appeared ready to move past the controversy city’s 2017 financial report. Salt Lake City meanwhile, had a budget at the Feb. 27 council meeting. Most of the residents who spoke of over a billion dollars. But the most critical difference between as well as the city council expressed continued trust in the mayor. the two cities, at least when it comes to determining mayoral The city council also passed a resolution that codified mayoral compensation, is form of government. compensation, meaning that the Sandy mayor will no longer be Utah state code specifies a few different forms of municipal responsible for setting his or her own salary. government and the roles and responsibilities of the mayor vary The resolution also included an increased commitment to greatly from one to another. transparency. As suggested by Councilman Zach Robinson, the The form of government in which the mayor has the most power city will begin disclosing both the mayor’s and the city councilors’ and responsibilities is the council-mayor form of government. The salaries in the city’s budget. cities of Salt Lake City, Provo, Ogden, Sandy, Murray, South Salt “If we’re going to publish the mayoral ranges, I’d recommend Lake, and Taylorsville fall under this category. Because this form of that we publish the council ranges as well. I feel that would be an government places more responsibility on the mayor, the position is open and transparent communication from us to our citizens,” said well-compensated.
“A
“In our form of government, the mayor position is a full-time position,” said Cherie Wood, the mayor of South Salt Lake. “I’m charged with running the city and we have a multi-million dollar budget and we have 300 plus employees.” Without an above-average salary, Wood said that the position would not attract candidates who are qualified to manage such a large organization. Another problem, according to Mike Applegarth, is that an extremely low salary might exclude all but the “independently wealthy” from running for office. In contrast, there are the five-member and six-member council forms of government. Under these forms, the mayor’s principal responsibility is to be the chair of and preside over the city council. The responsibility for the daily administration of the city instead lies with a City Manager. With the decreased responsibility comes a smaller paycheck; in some cities, the mayor even makes less than the city councilors. Holladay, Draper, Midvale, South Jordan, Cottonwood Heights, Herriman, and Riverton fall under these forms of government. “You don’t do it for the money, that’s for sure,” said Rob Dahle who is currently the mayor of Holladay, one of the municipalities with a council-manager form of government. According to Dahle, his main role is acting as a spokesman for the city. “We’re a pretty small municipality and it allows for a citizen mayor where their primary function isn’t to be employed by the city. It’s more of a service,” said Dahle. “These small cities don’t really justify a full-time mayor so that allows any citizen to be able to throw their hat in the ring to run for mayor.” Dahle said that transparency is the key to avoiding controversies similar to what happened in Sandy. “Whatever you do, you make sure it’s a public process. The mayor should not have unilateral authority to set his own pay. That’s just bad policy,” he said. When it comes to the compensation of city council members, there isn’t much of a difference between cities of different forms of government. Instead, the principle determinant seems to be population. The highest-paid city councils belong to the cities with the most people such as Salt Lake City, Sandy and Provo. The average salary for a city councilor ranges from around $10,000 on the low end (Herriman) to over $40,000 on the high end (Salt Lake City). Residents who want to know more about how government entities spend taxpayer money, including employee compensation, can access that information through various online resources such as transparent.utah.gov and utahsright.com. As for Bradburn, he’s working to regain the trust of Sandy residents who felt betrayed by his actions, saying on a Facebook post, “I always said when I was campaigning that I was going to make mistakes, but I would always own up to them and fix them when I did. Hope you can still support me as I try to do the best I can while I have the privilege of serving you.” l
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Power lines to stay above ground in latest 4100 South redesign By Travis Barton | travis@mycityjournals.com
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Years of Experience Power lines will remain above ground as part of 4100 South reconstruction plan. (Travis Barton/City Journals)
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lans to reconstruct 4100 South between Bangerter Highway and 5600 West are on schedule, according to city engineer Dan Johnson. But those plans will not include burying the power lines underground for aesthetic purposes. Currently working towards the final design of the almost 2-mile long project, Johnson received an informal 4-2 vote from the city council during its April 3 study meeting to not include burying power lines along 4100 South. To bury them would cost $3.5 million. Power poles would have remained in place as would the highest wires (power transmission wires) as part of the project. The biggest benefits, Johnson explained to the council, was an improved aesthetic and it might be the only chance in the next few decades to remove the wires due to such high costs (it would cost $14 million to put all wires underground). He said with the road being completely redone—plans include digging 23 inches to replace asphalt and even the dirt underneath—this might be the best time to do it. The biggest cons, Johnson said, is the cost and transformer boxes being placed on resident property every five or six houses. It could also mean using that $3.5 million on road reconstruction in other places. Councilman Tom Huynh voted against the idea saying with technology constantly improving, they may have a more effective way to bury the lines in 10 years. Mayor Ron Bigelow said from his experiences talking to the residents along the street, they were concerned about road quality rather than removing power lines. “It’s all about choices between good things…but which is more important to the majority of the people?” Bigelow said. “That is one of our primary functions is taking care of the roads.” Councilman Steve Buhler said he would WestValleyJ ournal.com
like no wires, but didn’t see a large enough difference to proceed. “I’m not sure that a pole with four wires is whole lot different than one with eight (wires),” he said. Power lines were buried in a similar project along 3500 South, City Manager Wayne Pyle said, and made a “huge difference” visually. He also said the cost is probably an overestimation considering their history with comparable projects. Councilman Lars Nordfelt said that improving the aesthetics would augment the quality of the surrounding neighborhoods. “This is a good thing to invest in.” While Councilman Jake Fitisemanu Jr. said that “if it’s a once-in-a30-year-stretch, let’s do it now.” Resident Mike Markham told the city council he was in favor of the aesthetic choice during the city council meeting on April 3. He said it should be done with extra conduit buried in case they needed to be revisited. It wouldn’t need “to tear everything out again.” “Let’s do it right the first time so we don’t have to go back a second time,” Markham said. “If we’re going to spend the money to do that road, let’s plan ahead for a little bit of possible growth.” Other instruction was given to Johnson regarding fences along 4100 South. Johnson explained they would like to do a “beautification process” improving fences where possible. The aim is to make them long lasting meaning masonry or wrought iron fences. Pyle said they would approach homeowners and reimburse them to replace their fence, but the new fences would have to match certain standards. Doing so would thereby match the rest of the street. This gives homeowners the option to do so with defrayed costs. Fences certain to be replaced are those in areas where the road will be widened and the fences will have to be removed. The council informally voted unanimously for consistent fencing along the roadway. l
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2018 EvEning SEriES
Season Tickets: $49 Adult, $45 Senior, $29 Child Murray Amphitheater Parking: 495 E 5300 S Ticket Info: 801-264-2614 or murrary.utah.gov June 2 ................................... Hairspray, Sing-A-Long June 9 ................................. One Voice Children Choir June 21-23, 25-27 .............Thoroughly Modern Millie June 30 .................................... Murray Concert Band July 7.................................... Murray Symphony Pops July 13-14 ............................... Ballet Under the Stars July 26-28, 30, 31, Aug 1....................Into the Woods August 10-11, 13, 16-18 ......................Secret Garden August 25...................................... SLC Jazz Orchestra September 3 ..............Murray Acoustic Music Festival
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Bring the Whole Family Young and Old! The 2nd Monday of every month at 7 p.m., FREE Murray Heritage Senior Center (#10 E 6150 S – 1/2 block west of State) June 11 – In Cahoots.......................Cowboy Music July 9 – Skyedance..............................Celtic Music Aug 13 – Company B....................................Oldies Sept 10 – Mixed Nuts .......................... Jazz, Swing
LUnCH COnCErT SEriES
Every Tuesday at Noon in Murray Park Pavilion #5 FREE June 5 – Michael Robinson ............Cowboy Poetry June 12 – Eastern Arts ...................... Ethnic Dance June 19 –CHASKIS......Music & Dance of the Andes June 26 – Chris Proctor .. Guitar for the New World July 10 – Wasatch Jazz Titans .................Jazz Band July 17 – Red Desert Ramblers............... Bluegrass July 31 – Time Cruisers.................................Oldies
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Every Thursday at 2 p.m. in Murray Park Pavilion #5 FREE June 7 – Stephanie Raff ......................Storytelling June 14 – Nino Reyos .........Native American Drum June 21 – Miss Margene ..............Children’s Dance June 28 – Coralie Leue .............The Puppet Players July 12 – Jonathan the Magician ....... Magic Show July 19 – Rebeca Wallin ........Shakespeare for Kids July 26 – Popcorn Media .....................Family Rock Aug 2 – Honey Buns........................... Song/Dance This program has received funding support from residents of Salt Lake County, SL County Zoo, Arts, and Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts and Museums, and Museums & National Endowment for the Arts.
May 2018 | Page 9
April proclaimed Child Abuse Prevention Month in WVC By Travis Barton | travis@mycityjournals.com
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s it did in 2017, West Valley City proclaimed April Child Abuse Prevention Month during its April 3 city council meeting. “All children deserve to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment to assure they reach their full potential,” Mayor Ron Bigelow read from the proclamation. Between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017 there were 731 confirmed child abuse victims in West Valley City. “The protection of children and strengthening of families is of concern and responsibility of all West Valley City citizens because the wellness of children affects our lives now and will continue to affect us in the future,” the proclamation states. Elected officials took a moment prior to their city council meeting to plant purple pinwheels in front of city hall Councilman Steve Buhler plants pinwheels in front of West Valley City Hall to honor those victims. “We fully support that and on April 3. (Kevin Conde/West Valley City Photographer) are appreciative of the work in
that area,” Bigelow said during the council meeting. Jeff Bird is the executive director of the Family Support Center which has three child nurseries, including one in West Valley City (across from Granger High School at 3663 S. 3600 West), where short-term childcare is provided for free to families in crisis situations or children at-risk of abuse or neglect. There were 3,308 child victims in Salt Lake County during 2017, Bird said. He added there were 1,143 individual children who came to the crisis nursery, 9,211 visits, 858 overnight stays and 9,671 meals were served. “We are grateful for the time and attention West Valley is willing to give this very important topic,” Bird told the city council. “I know that you have weighty matters to consider and I’m grateful that the safety of our children is one of those things that you are willing to take time to talk about.” l
West Valley City Journal
Ron McBride’s impact plan for Wasatch Front schools By Jessica Ivins | j.ivins@mycityjournals.com
David James, member of board of directors for Ron McBride Foundation, Dr. David M. Compton, Ron McBride, Koki Cline, and Andrea Miller at Granite Foundation Building. (Jessica Ivins/City Journals)
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he Ron McBride Foundation is joining forces with the Granite Education Foundation for the benefit of Utah children. The Ron McBride Foundation will be working with Salt Lake, Ogden, Granite, and Jordan School Districts. “We want to be involved in your problems and take an active role,” said Ron McBride, co-founder of the non-profit organization and former Utes and Weber State football coach. “I have seen education problems in every place I have been. I have seen prejudice problems, bullying, and children that do not get equal opportunities. We need to reach the kids at a younger age.” Dr. David M. Compton, the Ron McBride Foundation’s executive director said, “Mac has a passion for being an agent for change and it is contagious.” McBride spoke on March 27 and 28, at the Granite Education Foundation Building where his foundation approached schools to partner and address issues facing education. The meeting had members of the Granite Education Foundation attending as well as other education advocates. Andrea Miller was one of those advocates. She is Granite School’s social work coordinator and oversees 55 social workers throughout Granite School District. She has seen what trauma can do to kids. Miller believes districts and communities that work together achieve better outcomes. Another advocate was Koki Cline, a school social worker who is on the front line when it comes to the fight for children’s wellbeing. Cline helps with suicide intervention and provides support to children that need to peel back the layers of trauma. He is
WestValleyJ ournal.com
dedicated to helping those children who have more than the average struggle. Cline described the Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACE score that tallies a child’s abuse, neglect, and other hallmarks of a rough childhood. “A score of 5 or 6 out of 10 is high,” said Cline. These scores indicate that the child may be at risk of behavioral, physical or mental health problems. Compton said barriers that children face in the schools include language, nutrition, sleep deprivations and physical capacities. Sleep deprivation leads to a decreased capacity to attend and less on-task behavior. A home with violence or trauma may affect a child’s mental and physical well-being. The McBride Foundation would like to help those children that have these barriers. The solution is funding from the McBride Foundation. McBride would like to see his foundation reach a goal of $300,000. Last year McBride Foundation raised $150,000. They funded Bryant Middle School’s library renovation, made ACT prep courses available and gave scholarships to those in need. “We want to change the paradigm, as well as the outcome,” Compton said. Part of that change is the “Healthy Learners Paradigm.” The McBride Foundation will contribute a goal of $50,000 with the support of the schools to the wellbeing of children and their families. Funds could be used to educate parents. A school may need behavior support for children’s needs. It all comes down to “Healthy Learners” and this is the feedback McBride and Compton have received from practitioners who report that health is a
major factor in academic achievement. The underlying problems are the hard to fix issues in the home. The bottom line is to give kids the support that they need. The McBride Foundation supports several campaigns such as the School Resource Fund, the Game Changer Scholarship and the Love you Man Campaign. The School Resource Fund is for library materials, fitness equipment, computer, musical equipment, copy machines, and laboratory supplies. The Game Changer Scholarships has been a McBride classic over the past two years. The foundation will provide scholarships to students in need with partnership with the Calvary Baptist Church. The MAFU (Mental toughness, positive Attitude, Fanatical effort, and Unity support) steps up when others have a problem or challenge. The Love You Man Campaign is McBride’s mantra. It is aimed at youth, teachers, parents and coaches to include all children to ward off bullying and alcohol and drug abuse. McBride’s frontline speaker series will raise money for speaking engagements to tackle issues that teachers, counselors, parents and youth serving agencies face each day. Those interested in supporting the Ron McBride Foundation can join the 3rd annual Love You Man Golf Tournament June 22 at Talons Cove Golf Course in Saratoga Springs. Contact utahlegendsgolf@gmail. com. l
May 2018 | Page 11
Hunter High ASL teacher receives inspirational award from Youth City Council By Jennifer Gardiner | j.gardiner@mycityjournals.com
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n March, Hunter High School’s American Sign Language (ASL) teacher Michael Barney received one of the three inspirational teacher awards given by the Youth City Council in West Valley City. Barney has taught ASL at Hunter High for the past 13 years. Born deaf, Barney said he has always tried to be more than he can be. “I graduated with a degree in graphic design and yet I became an ASL teacher because I love ASL and working with people. I teach because I love ASL and working with people,” Barney wrote in an email interview. “My wife is deaf. My four kids are hearing but they understand ASL. Many of my friends are deaf and I attend a deaf congregation church.” Barney wrote he loves the ideas working in the students’ heads and them getting it, the “a-ha” moments when they tie in signs and concepts. “I average 30-40 students per class. I introduce my students to the Deaf Culture and use ASL as the target language to communicate,” Barney wrote. “I try to teach my students to communicate for themselves and to figure out how to interact with the deaf community.” Barney teaches three different levels of ASL classes. Level one is an introductory class that teaches the basic sign language skills like greeting and exchanging personal information. The level two class teaches the students to build on what they’ve learned from level one and do intermediate sign language skills. In level three, the students get into the main part of the language where they have a range of skills to choose from to communicate. Barney wrote he takes pride in his program and tries to keep it strong by making it interesting and fun to learn. “I love working with my students. Granted, I do have a few students who I need to encourage, but many of them are great,” Barney wrote. “I hate paperwork and meetings because I rather be teaching
Hunter High ASL teacher Michael Barney poses for a photo with the West Valley City Council after receiving the Inspiration Award from the West Valley City Youth Council. (Travis Barton/City Journals)
or working with my students. But overall, I get the classroom to myself so I have to be in charge of the ASL program and I try my best to make the ASL program great at Hunter High.” The West Valley City Youth Council worked for months to recognize and award inspirational teachers in Hunter, Granger, and APA. “We sent out surveys, counted votes, and notified the three teachers of their success,” said Jelena Dragicevic, mayor of the YCC. “O.C. Tanner generously donated three crystal trophies given to these incredible teachers on March 6 in front of the council.” At the award ceremony, Barney was
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described as an inspirational teacher who cares about his students and he interacts with them by asking questions and taking an interest in their lives. He said he was surprised to receive the award because he feels he is always doing what he always does and busy doing many things for the ASL classes. “I especially try to make time for my students to communicate with me because I feel the more they use the language the more they remember it,” Barney wrote. “This is something I’ve always done and I hope the students go away from that experience feeling better. It was an honor to receive the award and I hope to live up to its expectation.
It was an honor to meet and shake hands with the city council of West Valley City.” The two other teachers who received awards were Jeffrey Sorensen from American Preparatory Academy and Aaron Cousins from Granger High. The YCC is a group of teens who attend schools within the city. Members of Youth Council generally have a strong interest in government, local issues and civic responsibilities who help to give back to the community through learning activities and service projects. To learn more about the YCC, visit their website at http://www.wvc-ut.gov/ycc. l
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West Valley City Journal
Hee-haw! Donkeys take center court at Hunter fundraiser By Greg James | gregj@mycityjournals.com
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he basketball hit the floor and rolled to the corner of the gymnasium. Several Hunter High students dismounted from their donkeys and began pulling them towards the rolling ball. The stars of the show—the donkeys—stopped in their tracks and, true to character, stood steadfast. The crowd roared with laughter. Hunter High School hosted its first athletic fundraiser March 23 in the school gymnasium. The donkey basketball game pitted club vs. club and raised nearly $700 towards the school’s athletic department. “This is one of the best things the school has ever done,” Hunter yearbook advisor Jeff Sillito said. “I hope we keep this going every year.” The Wolverines athletic director Pam Olson had been approached earlier this school year by Donkey Sports Incorporated about hosting a fundraiser. She decided to look into the possibility and asked the school’s clubs to participate. “We were worried about the game hurting our gym floor,” Olson said. “We decided to wait until the basketball seasons were over and try it out. It is our first year so we did not earn as much as we hoped, but this is so fun to watch and everyone is just laughing.” Donkey Sports owner and operator, Bailey Wick, introduced the students to their playing partners and explained the rules of the game
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in a pre-party meeting. Several students stood surrounding the donkeys until one decided to raise its tail and relieve himself. Cries of “eww” echoed out and the students quickly moved a few feet from their partners covering their noses. “Yeah, some of the city kids are not sure what to expect,” Wick said. “The donkeys wear rubber shoes that don’t harm the gym floor. It becomes a funny experience watching them herd around. The donkeys even get excited as the crowd laughs and cheers.” Wolverines represented their clubs in the game. They pre-sold raffle tickets for giveaways and admission. Clubs then formed five player teams to participate in the game. Four players rode the donkeys and had to keep in contact with the animal the entire time on the court while one team member became the center and could pass the ball in after made baskets. “I am just going to stay on the donkey and score a basket,” dance company team member Annie Smith said. “This is so exciting.” The donkeys quickly became the stars of the show. “I was thinking go Pablo (her donkey’s name), go,” senior softball player Brooklyn Jensen said. The students learned their partner’s names and cheered for all of the teams. The theater team had shirts printed with the famous quote from
“Hamilton,” “I am not throwing away my shot.” T h e Wo l v e r i n e s s t u d e n t government won the basketball tournament. Other clubs participating included the robotics, dance company, drill team, theater and SBOs. “We are getting a new basketball floor this summer and The dance company raised the most money in pre-sell tickets and was awarded two extra so this seemed points in the first-ever donkey basketball fundraiser. (Photo courtesy Chuck Smith) like a good Idaho. They provide clean and healthy animals idea,” Hunter Principal Craig Stauffer said. and all the safety equipment necessary. They “The money we earn will go to the athletic have also helped coordinate donkey softball department for equipment and scholarships. It games in other areas. has been fun and I hope it is something we can “We have approximately 80 animals and keep doing and make it bigger and bigger.” we care and maintain them at all time. Each Donkey Sports Incorporated is located in donkey only ‘works’ about three months a year. Washington and has participated in fundraising We (the animal handlers) are here to make sure games in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Nevada and everyone is safe and has fun,” Wick said. l
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Junior high schools compete at district wrestling championships By Greg James | gregj@mycityjournals.com
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Max Ashby from Hunter Junior High School lost in the first round of the Granite School District Championships. (Greg James/City Journals)
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igh school coaches like Bryan McConaha, an assistant wrestling coach at Cyprus High School, have found opportunities to help junior high student athletes learn about their programs before they get to high school. They also offer their experience in a sport that not many are familiar with. “Wrestling is a mental sport and helps with a drive to do better,” McConaha said. “We help with these teams because of the lack of good wrestling coaches, but it helps us teach these kids the things we want to see them learn rather than bad habits.” Many of the Granite School District’s junior high schools offer opportunities to participate in competitive wrestling, but many teams lack experienced coaches to lead the participants. This season the District Championships were held March 24 at Cyprus High School. Several high school
coaches including Terry Allen (Hunter) and Chris Luttrell (Cyprus) spend extra time coaching and advising the younger wrestlers by helping junior high teams and off-season wrestling clubs. These experienced coaches are sacrificing their own time for the betterment of their school and team. Allen works with Hunter Junior High and Luttrell at Matheson Junior High. “I try to get a couple of my high school wrestlers to spend time at the junior high,” Allen said. “I think it gives my kids a great chance to teach what they have learned and pass their love of the sport on to younger kids. Having a good junior high program definitely helps us when they get to high school.” Allen has also started teaching wrestlers at the Wolverines junior wrestling club. The club is for students in third through
eighth grades. “Matheson didn’t have a program for a couple of years,” Allen said. “They just did not have anyone that could do it. This year the junior high schedule was after our high school season so it worked out I could help more often.” The district championships had wrestlers from eight schools compete. Olympus Junior High won the title by outscoring the second place team, Bennion Junior High, by 115 points. Eisenhower Junior High finished fourth, Matheson fifth, Hunter and Kennedy tied for seventh. “I really like wrestling. Getting pins is what is fun,” Hunter Junior High wrestler Max Ashby said after his 5-1 loss to Jonathan Madill from Eisenhower. “It teaches me to keep going and not give up. I hope to keep wrestling all through high school if I can.” Ashby said this is first season wrestling.
Olympus won individual titles in 10 of the 17 weight classes. Bennion Junior had two individual champions, Reason Robinson and Chanden Reid. Beau Buchanan from Eisenhower won in the 138 pound weight class. “Wrestling teaches kids personal control as well as individual fitness techniques,” Allen said. A team gains success as its individual wrestlers earn placing positions. Wrestling teaches its participants to be responsible for their entire success or failure. Each wrestler is in complete control of everything from personal training, maintaining weight and their individual match win or loss. The district schools competed in six matches beginning March 1 and concluded with the district championships. l
West Valley City Journal
WestValleyJ ournal.com
May 2018 | Page 15
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By Travis Barton | travis@mycityjournals.com Spring is upon us, summer is on the way; and with warmer temperatures and (hopefully) blue skies on the horizon, drivers can’t blame slick roads or blinding flurries for their faulty driving anymore. Driving safely requires good driving habits. Habits. Not occasionally safe maneuvers. The following are some prudent practices to implement in your daily travels.
checking windshield washer fluid or the antifreeze level in your car’s reservoir can prevent serious issues happening on the road. Wash your car especially after storms or if you’ve parked under a pine tree where birds can drop their white business on the hood or sap could drip onto the roof. Left untreated, these outdoor stains can ruin the paint on your vehicle.
Blinkers and blind spots Driving 101. If you plan on changing lanes, let others in on your secret. Everyone will appreciate it. Others want to know what you are planning. Likewise, if you see a blinker come on indicating your lane is that car’s desired destination, let it in. This isn’t the Daytona 500. We are not racing for $19 million. It is common courtesy, if we want people to use their blinkers, then we should reward them for doing so. Remember the blinker doesn’t automatically assume safe passage to the next lane. And while your car’s sensors in the rearview mirrors are helpful, they are not omniscient. Check your blind spot with your own eyes. There’s a reason it’s called a “blind” spot.
Drive defensively This means keeping distance between you and the car in front of you.
Tire pressure This one is almost as simple as the first. Check your tire pressure on a regular basis to know if there is a small leak. Maybe you drove over a nail and didn’t realize it. We often don’t look at the tires on the passenger side since we don’t approach the car from that direction, checking regularly allows you to examine those opposite side wheels. It will keep your car’s handling in its best condition. Each vehicle can have different appropriate PSI (measurement for tire pressure), but when temperatures drop, so does the pressure in your tires. Keep car maintained Since you’ll be regularly checking the tires, might as well keep regularly scheduled maintenance on your car. This can range from oil changes to transmission flushes. Simply
Touching their bumper does nothing for you. And if you need to get that close to read their license plate or sticker, your eyesight is troubling and you probably shouldn’t be behind a steering wheel. Also you can’t always see what’s in front of the car before you. They may have to slam on their brakes due to an unexpected obstruction. If you rear end them, insurance rarely works out in your favor. This can also mean slowing down on wet roads or not weaving in and out of traffic. Distractions This is the No. 1 reason for accidents. This is not limited to using the cell phone, though texting, checking news alerts or making a phone call are all terrible decisions to make while driving. It also extends to dozing off or checking the price at the gas station you just passed. Be alert, stay vigilant. Other drivers may suddenly stop, they may not see you as you yield or turn. By staying engaged and sharp, your reactions can be sharper and you may even anticipate what other drivers are looking to do. One way to stay engaged is to vary your daily commute. Changing your routine alerts your brain, breaking you from the monotonous snooze you may find yourself after traveling certain routes hundreds of times. These habits are important and it is not overdramatic to say that they could save a life. l
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West Valley City Journal
High schools see decline in number of referees By Greg James | gregj@mycityjournals.com
The need for more officials of high school sports is increasing. More games, retirement and poor sportsmanship is making it hard to find enough replacements. (Photo dsandersonpics.com)
I
f players line up on the field and there is no official to adjudicate the rules, does it count in the standings? Overall Utah high school sports have seen a two percent decline in the number of officials
for its sporting events. Nearly 2,700 men and women officiate high school athletics in the state. “We are no different than the national trends,” Utah High School Activities Association assistant director in charge of officials Jeff Cluff said. “Officiating is a difficult trade. It takes a lot of time just to be adequate let alone very good at it and our newer officials are not sticking around long enough to get to that point.” Many of the state’s experienced officials are retiring and there are not the number of younger replacements. Cluff also pointed out that we have more schools and more athletic participants than ever before. “It used to be that there would be one game a night at the school. Nowadays there could be a baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse game all at the same time. Not to mention all the club sports that use our officials too,” Cluff said. Utah’s current unemployment rate of 3.1 percent leads to a strong economy therefore many residents are not compelled to spend extra time at a side job. The UHSAA has partnered with youth sports programs such as Ute Conference football in the Salt Lake valley. The youth football program referees are also registered as UHSAA officials. The purpose is to train
SPOTLIGHT
younger referees on Saturday to become high school officials also. “There used to be college courses as elective credit. It was used to get students to referee intramurals. Those classes are no longer available for college credit. I think SUU still has this course and Weber State recently started one. Young kids do not have as many places to be introduced to officiating,” Cluff said. The scrutiny involved in the game has also discouraged many eligible participants. “I can be at a high school game and within five minutes of an error on the field or court I can get a text, tweet or an email at the UHSAA showing the error that the official made. People are less patient and they expect perfection until they actually try it and see how hard it really is,” Cluff said. Professional sports fans have become accustomed to instant replay and slow motion video—something that is not available at the local high school level. “I had friends that were intentionally thrown at and have heard of parents and players that were malicious and disrespectful,” former high school softball umpire Gerri Ewing said. “It is hard to put a young 16 or 17 year old into that environment and expect them to be eager to come back. I umpired because I love softball. The money was not important to me. It was so I
could give back to the community.” Utah has two NFL officials both of whom are former high school officials (Bart Longson, Ryan Dixon). Two years ago two Utah based officials worked the NCAA national championship football game. DG Nelson (SLCC baseball coach) recently refereed in the NCAA basketball tournament, and six PAC 12 umpires reside in Utah. “I think our top 15 percent of officials are as good as any in the country,” Cluff said. “I have seen and associate with officials at a high level. We have a deep pedigree of officials in this state. Some of our experienced officials are very well respected.” Officials and coaches have seen an increase in unsportsmanlike conduct from both players and fans. “Parents can be so harsh towards officials. It is a toxic age,” Herriman swim coach Michael Goldhardt said. “Kids and parents want game time, they have no loyalty to the school and it is always someone else’s fault.” Schools and state associations are finding ways to recruit. Their plans include training and seminars at local leagues and recreation sports, but the need is growing faster than they can find replacements. l
Monitoring ecological change with smart phones and social media By: Salt Lake County’s Watershed Planning & Restoration Program
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As you explore the trails along the Jordan River this spring, keep an eye out for new signs at stream restoration projects completed by Salt Lake County’s Watershed Planning & Restoration Program. You’ll see informational signs about the projects, and signs that encourage people to take and share photos of the restoration areas. Both sign types were included to create awareness of stream restoration techniques used by the Watershed Program, why restoration was needed, and how it can improve the river ecosystem. For both wildlife and humans! When left to its own devices, a river is a dynamic thing. Banks move as erosive forces shape and reshape the channel and floodplain. But when development puts stress on natural stream systems, erosion can accelerate beyond the norm. Much of the
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Jordan River’s historic floodplain has been impacted in one way or another, and the Watershed Program is using natural channel design to repair damaged streambanks, restore natural function to the river, and improve habitat for wildlife. Post-project monitoring is an important part of any restoration project. With the photo monitoring stations, we’re inviting Jordan River Trail users to become part of the monitoring process! It’s simple: Put up a sign asking people to set their phone or camera in an angle bracket, take a photo, and post it to Twitter with a site-specific hashtag. Then we use the photos to create slideshows that show change over time. This is truly a crowdsourcing effort. We don’t own the photos. Instead, Salt Lake County developed an online tool to harvest the hashtags and view
the photos in a slideshow format that simulates timelapse photography. We’re relying on a network of citizen-monitors to provide the data that creates a permanent photographic record. Photos taken during the growing season will record how plants on the reconstructed streambanks are filling in. During high water we’ll see how the floodplains are handling high river flows. During winter, when foliage is off and water levels are typically lower, we’ll have a clearer view of how the reconstructed streambanks are holding up. Spring is a great time to head out as plants in the restoration areas are starting to leaf out. Currently, there are seven photo monitoring stations (and eight project info signs) at several Watershed Program restoration projects on the Jordan River. Five photo stations along the stretch
of river from Arrowhead Park at 4800 South to approximately 5100 South in Murray, are documenting ongoing restoration work begun in 2015. We have one photo station at Winchester Park at 6500 South in Murray for the channel repair and revegetated streambanks that we completed in 2015. In Draper, we have one station at the river realignment project at 12600 South, just down the trail from the Jordan River Rotary Park. To see the slideshows created from the crowdsourced photos, visit our Monitor Change page at http:// slco.org/watershed/restoration/ monitor-change/. Learn more in the Spring 2018 issue of Watershed Watch, the newsletter of the Salt Lake County Watershed Planning & Restoration Program, http://slco. org/watershed/resource-center/ watershed-watch-newsletter. l
May 2018 | Page 17
Birthday Shopping by
CASSIE GOFF
May is a month of celebration for my family. There’s my birthday, my dad’s birthday, my friend’s birthday, my parent’s anniversary, and, of course, Mother’s day. I love celebrating other people’s birthdays and take time to find the best gift to surprise them. You know who doesn’t like celebrating birthdays? My wallet. During the past few years of extravagantly celebrating birthdays, I’ve picked up a few tricks to make my wallet happier. Let’s start with online shopping. I always shop online: it’s easier to find that perfect personalized gift in cyberspace than it is at the local shopping mart. I’ll usually start (I’ll admit it) with some social media stalking. I’ll go through the birthday person’s feed and see if there’s anything they have been really into recently, or there might even be a post explicitly telling friends what to get them for their birthday. Once I have a good idea of what to get the birthday person, or at least what theme to go with, I’ll start searching. If the birthday person made it easy on me and posted a wish list, I’ll start comparing prices online. Usually, the same item can be bought for cheaper on specific websites, or provide free shipping. I use Google Chrome as my browser so I use an extension that will compare prices for me. If I’m looking at an item on a website, the extension might automatically find the same item cheaper somewhere else. If it does, a small pop up will appear in the corner of my
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screen telling me it found a better deal. There are all kinds of coupon and price comparison extensions to download on Chrome. They’re amazing. I never check-out online without a coupon. I subscribe to a handful of list serves that will send me sales and coupons. I’m always thinking ahead when I receive those emails. If I see a crazy discount on an item I think one of my friends will love, I purchase it then and wait until their birthday, or Christmas, whichever one comes first. Additionally, I always search for coupon codes. If you Google “store name” coupon codes, you’ll get hit with a bunch of websites providing coupon codes. I use Retail Me Not and Deals Cove, just to name a few. My last tip for online shopping is to leave items
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sitting in the cart. If you have an email linked to the site you are shopping on, you’ll usually get an email reminding you that an item is in your cart (as if you had forgotten). The site will usually send a 10-20 percent coupon code to inspire you finish the transaction. This requires patience though, since these emails usually won’t show up in an inbox for a day or two. If you don’t want to go online shopping, personalized gifts are always great options. I love making personalized cakes for my birthday people. They’re fun, tasty, and generally inexpensive. You can buy baking supplies in large quantities and use them for many different occasions. I use the same tactic for party supplies as well. I love to surprise my birthday people by decorating their car or home or workplace. I have bags full of streamers and balloons that I buy in quantity. Lastly, if you’re not like me but like many of my friends, you can opt out of receiving gifts on your birthday altogether. Instead, request the money that would be spent on your gift to go towards a donation. Facebook has a specific invite for this: you can invite your friends to donate your birthday gift money to a charitable cause. I have been invited to donate to The Humane Society, the Alzheimer’s Association, Cancer Societies, the World Wildlife Fund, etc. There are hundreds of nonprofits to choose from which this social media platform has listed. l
Melissa Worthen
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Life
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West Valley
Toddlers are draining. They’re exhausting, demanding, messy and literally shaking with energy. When my kids were little, I was tired all the time. I’d fall asleep at stoplights and dream of the day I could sleep without someone’s little foot stuck in my ear. The next decade passed by in a blur of softball games, dance recitals, science fairs, birthday parties and happy family activities. It’s a montage of smiling faces and sunshine. Little did I know, our happy family time was waning. I didn’t realize I was stuck on a roller-coaster, slowly clicking my way to the first steep drop. A gentle “Clickity-clack, clickity-clack” starts to get louder as the coaster moves closer to the top of the hill until suddenly I’m up so high and afraid to look down. Once a daughter turns 13, the coaster’s brakes release and you freefall into a death spiral, an upsidedown loop, a backwards spin over the rails, and a straight-down drop that moves your stomach into your ribcage. You get whiplash from changing directions. There’s lots of screaming. There might be some brief, quiet moments but only because you’re steadily climbing back to that first steep drop. Clickity-clack, clickity-clack. You recognize the parent of a teenage daughter because their teeth are clenched and their fists so tightly clasped they’ve lost all blood flow to their fingers. They’re currently experiencing a 7 G-force thrill ride, Teenage Terror Tornado, and they can’t get off for at least six years. Other than being an alligator midwife or snake milker, there’s no job more dangerous or thankless than being the mother of a teenage daughter. Moms
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and 14-year-old girls get embroiled in death-to-the-enemy exchanges on a daily basis. Everything becomes a battle and exclamation points abound. Teenage Mutant Ninja Daughter: I was late for school again!!! Harried Mother: You slept in. TMND: Why didn’t you wake me up???!!!! HM: I tried to wake you up for 30 minutes. TMND: I was tired!!!!! HM: You should go to bed earlier. TMND: I’m not an old lady like you!!! At this point, the mom stops talking because she’s ready to punch a hole in the refrigerator. She’s endured slammed doors, rolled eyes, super-black eyeliner, sulkiness, unexpected anger, crop tops and shrill yelling. I speak from experience, both as a former teenager and the mother of four teenage daughters. As a teen, I wrote my mom a few letters explaining how much I hated her. She wrote me one right back. I lied, snuck out of the house, refused to attend church, yelled at my siblings and changed into sexy tops after I left the house for school. Somehow, my mom didn’t kill me, for which I am endlessly grateful. My own daughters had their share of teenage drama. I’d often go to bed at night wishing for a lightning both to hit me in the head. I’d have been
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perfectly fine with that. Sudden death often felt easier than years of teenage moodiness. Now, each of my daughters have a daughter of their own. I watch as they deal with the everyday calamities that must be dealt with when you have a daughter including mood swings, swearing and bathroom bawling, and the daughters have their issues, too. But occasionally, a daughter would snuggle up to me, tell me she loved me and ask how my day was. She’d hold my hand and look interested for about 10 seconds before asking, “Can I have $50?” Clickity-clack. Clickity-clack. l
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